Fishing

By Cali Hvalac As the oldest fishing tackle shop in Destin, The Ships Chandler goes hand in hand with Destin’s fishing history. Like most in our area, the Wright family relocated to Destin in 1970 on a military assignment to Eglin Airforce Base. Destin was a small fishing village during...

By Cali Hvalac In our lucky little fishing village, it may be perceived that a boat is necessary to catch certain kinds of fish, or a multitude of fish. However, without access to a boat, there are still some great fishing spots anglers can take advantage of (even some who...

In 1991, an out-of-town developer took control of one of the largest charter boat docks in Destin. Rumors flew about replacing the charter boats with yachts in the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village. Destin’s charter fishing fleet’s future was threatened and had no security. The best solution was for the fishing...

Many Miss Destins have gone on to accomplish big things, not just for the “world’s luckiest fishing village,” but for our region, state and beyond. In fact, you never know where former Miss Destins will appear next! Miss Destin 1984, Mona Ponder, was officially Destin's First Lady, as her...

By Cali Hlavac October means the Destin Fishing Rodeo is officially here, a favorite time of year for amateur and professional anglers alike. Part 1 of our series covered the history of the Destin Fishing Rodeo, how anglers can participate, what you can win and some of the upcoming rodeo...

By Susan Benton As a food writer and blogger living by the water’s edge of the Emerald Coast, one of the first questions locals or people ask when they visit our area is how they can be certain that they are buying or being served fresh seafood. It would appear...

By Micaiala Hamner and Erika Zambello Walk onto a fishing pier in Okaloosa and Walton Counties this summer and you may see a gorgeously decorated monofilament recycling bin painted with images of fish, mermaids, birds, or other real and imagined marine life. The fishing line recycling program, an initiative of...

By Cali Hlavac With the 70th anniversary of the Destin Fishing Rodeo rapidly approaching, captains and anglers alike are preparing for what appears to be a monumental year in rodeo history. In the first of our two-part series, you’ll learn more Rodeo details, how to participate, what you can win...

By Cali Hlavac The year was 1835, where undiscovered land was plentiful and settlers from overseas were moving in and building communities. The Destin family, whalers from Connecticut, sailed south to Key West, Fla., in search of off season work and big money. Tragedy struck before they arrived when Leonard...